Olivia Newton-John Gets Physical

Her 1982 smash in this week's road to the 53rd GRAMMY Awards edition of Forgotten Videos

GRAMMYs

Dec 2, 2014 - 4:06 pm

GRAMMY.com

Welcome to Forgotten Videos, the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards edition, showcasing past GRAMMY winners. For some, these videos are forgotten, for others just filed away, and for others still, a totally brand-new discovery. Whichever category you fall into, each week until the GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 13, 2011, we'll feature a video from a GRAMMY-winning artist that's possibly been collecting dust when what it really deserves is a fresh look. Or, just for old times' sake. We just want to take you on a little trip down memory lane. Yep, you'll remember when hair was really that big, when drums were that up front in the mix, when video was young(er) and so were you.

Olivia Newton-John"Physical"1982

What made Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" such a monster hit in 1982? Well, let's just say when Olivia invites you to "get physical," the answer is seldom "no."

By the time this record sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 10 weeks in 1982, Olivia had become as big a music superstar as there was at the time, but "Physical" won her a whole new fan base. The audience that thought of her as a pretty and polite country/pop singer had loved her through the '70s, but now she was embraced by an audience that thought the black leather-clad "Sandy" at the end of Grease trumped the innocent school girl at the beginning of the movie.

With "Physical," the Olivia evolution was complete. She had started as the cute Aussie country singer who established herself with music such as a cover of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You," the mellow pop of "Have You Never Been Mellow," and the straight balladry of the Record Of The Year GRAMMY-winning "I Honestly Love You."

But then came her first real movie role, 1978's Grease. That same year, she released Totally Hot, her first pinup album with a cover picture in (coincidentally?) black leather. The Physical album would follow in 1981, which also included songs such as the Top 5 hit "Make A Move On Me" and "Stranger's Touch."

As for the video, it's safe to say "Physical" was made in the Mesozoic period of music video; by the standards of video's heyday, the clip is boxed-wine cheap. It's hard to think of these special effects being state-of-the-art in D. W. Griffith's time. That's less a criticism of the video as it is a recollection that MTV was barely a year old and "video budget" was a yet-to-be-coined term. It did, after all, win the Video Of The Year GRAMMY in 1982. The song also earned Olivia a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female, the previous year.

Perhaps one criticism though: The clip was released at the height of the gym-as-singles-bar craze, but judging from the Three Stooges-inspired slapstick of the video, you'd never know the song was meant to convey under-the-covers lust.

Where is Olivia now? After a few more sexy albums, by 1989 she had released a lullabies disc called Warm And Tender, and later, albums like 1994's Gaia, her plea for compassionate care for the planet. Still, even at more than 60 years old, we think she's just a Total Gym workout away from another saucy comeback.

The We Go Together campaign aims to raise $1 million for critical cancer research and trials, and to deliver holistic care to cancer patients in need.

Supporters are encouraged to donate money and upload video messages of strength and courage on social media using the hashtag #WeGoTogether to inspire or support someone battling cancer or coping with the loss of a loved one.

This update comes just months after the tragic news of the return of Newton-John's breast cancer, causing her to postpone her tour back in May. The Grease singer/actress was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992.

"I'd like to express my gratitude to all of you who sent such kind and loving messages of support over the past few months," she said. "Your prayers and well wishes have truly helped me, and continued to lift my spirits. I'm feeling great, and so look forward to seeing you soon."

Remember Ready For The World’s Prince-inspired hit?

Welcome to Forgotten Videos. For some, these videos are forgotten, for others just filed away, and for others still, a totally brand-new discovery. Whichever category you fall into, each week we'll feature a video that's possibly been collecting dust when what it really deserves is a fresh look. Or vice-versa…. We're not here to judge, we just want to take you on a little trip down memory lane. Yep, you'll remember when hair was really that big, when drums were that up front in the mix, when video was young(er) and so were you.

Ready For The World"Oh Sheila"1985

The comments on this song's official YouTube page probably say it all. Like this one, for example: "For those that say this song sounds nothing like Prince you are out of your minds :) This song is very Prince influenced. You don't have to be a soundalike to be influenced. It was the hot sound at the time and this isn't the only band that did it. That being said, I love it and Prince."

Yes, Ready For The World were no doubt riding the Prince wave in 1985, just like, oh, say, Roy Orbison rode the Elvis wave or Gerry And The Pacemakers rode the Beatles wave. There's nothing wrong with riding a wave when you do it well.

Ready For The World was a microcosm of '80s R&B, evidenced by the Prince-flavored semi-mechanized funk, dapper suits and Jheri curls wrapped in headbands. But here are some props for RFTW's individuality: In two years they scored three singles that hit the Top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 without turning to Hollywood-based production Svengalis. The Michigan-bred band wrote and produced their own hits. "Oh Sheila" was the big breakthrough for the group — featuring lead singer Melvin Riley along with John Eaton, Gregory Potts, Gordon Strozier, Willie Triplett, and Gerald Valentine — rising all the way to No. 1 on the Hot 100. They followed the same year with "Digital Display" and in 1986 with the ballad "Love You Down."

The video for "Oh Sheila" is a fairly ordinary performance clip. Later, for "Digital Display," having scored a hit, RFTW was allowed to create a video with a storyline, though apparently not with an exponentially greater budget.

To add a bit more spice to the Prince comparisons, there were rumors (at least according to Wikipedia, which may have started them), that the Sheila in question was Sheila E., a former Prince flame, though Riley says the song's subject was a fictional character.

Also like Prince, who just staged a 21-night Los Angeles stand in April and May primarily at the Forum, Ready For The World is still, well, ready for the world. The band has its own label and is available for bookings at www.readyfortheworld.net. Or, you can watch their videos on your digital display.

Did you think "Oh Sheila" was a Prince song the first 438 times you heard it? Got any Forgotten Video recommendations? Leave us a comment.

Welcome to Forgotten Videos. For some, these videos are forgotten, for others just filed away, and for others still, a totally brand-new discovery. Whichever category you fall into, each week we'll feature a video that's possibly been collecting dust when what it really deserves is a fresh look. Or vice-versa. … We're not here to judge, we just want to take you on a little trip down memory lane. Yep, you'll remember when hair was really that big, when drums were that up front in the mix, when video was young(er) and so were you.

The Cure "Lullaby"1989

As memorable as the Cure's "Lullaby" becomes after repeated listens, it only takes one viewing of the accompanying video to lodge it in your brain forever. Awarded Best British Video honors at the 1990 Brit Awards, "Lullaby" is an artfully nightmarish ode to arachnophobia, with the Cure frontman Robert Smith drawing a close comparison to Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands as he's serenaded by ghoulish bandmates, tormented by predatory versions of himself, and transformed in ways that would do author Franz Kafka and director David Cronenberg proud.

Director Tim Pope, who also directed videos for the Cure such as "High," "Friday I'm In Love" and "Just Like Heaven," among others, says the "Lullaby" video grew naturally (if you can call it that) from its source material.

"That song was particularly lurid and vivid," says Pope, "and it's got one of my favorite lines: 'And I feel like I'm being eaten/By a thousand million shivering furry holes.' My god, where can you go wrong with a line like that?"

Pope says his work with Smith and the Cure fit nicely with his own early interest in filmmakers such as Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski. "I had grown up with the films of Roman Polanski — you know, films like Repulsion and The Tenant [and they] were a great influence on me," he says. "They all tend to be kind of dark and obsessive. And that was something that went very well with the Cure's music and Robert's lyrics."

Meanwhile, devotees of the Cure continue to debate the source of the song's subject matter, which feels like a hallucinogenic take on Mary Howitt's early 19th century poem, "The Spider And The Fly" (an inspiration Smith makes explicit when he whispers something reminiscent of the poem's opening line near the end of the song).

While Smith most often attributes "Lullaby" to childhood nightmares, fans have speculated that it's actually a metaphor for everything from depression to addiction and abuse. The latter interpretation was further fueled by a portion of an MTV interview where Smith talks about the song. "One particular night, my uncle burst through the window, and he did unspeakable things," said Smith, before adding with a laugh, "He didn't really."

Pope is quick to point out that his friend and collaborator's knack for imaginative storytelling often spills over into real life. "He's one of the hugest liars, but in a lovely cuddly sort of way," he says. "He frames his story however he wants to. So maybe that's one of his, shall we say, slightly made-up stories."

While Pope also spent decades making videos for artists such as David Bowie, the Cars, KT Tunstall, and Neil Young, he eventually moved into film and advertising work after MTV pulled the plug on its "music television revolution." More recently, he's worked with artists ranging from the Kaiser Chiefs to Fatboy Slim.

When asked about the age-old criticism that music videos somehow take away from the purity of the listening experience, the director points out that we have eyes as well as ears.

"I don't think they ruined the songs," says Pope. "With all my videos, I tried to add to the song, but still allow the song to breathe — if the song was brilliant enough to be allowed to breathe."

(Bill Forman is a writer and music editor for theColorado Springs Independent and the former publications director for The Recording Academy.)

6 songs we bet you didn't know the Bee Gees wrote

From Barbra Streisand to Celine Dion, Dionne Warwick and Frankie Valli, check out this six-pack of hit songs written by the Bee Gees for other artists

GRAMMYs

May 15, 2017 - 2:36 am

GRAMMY.com

You probably know the Bee Gees' classic hits such as "Stayin' Alive," "Night Fever" and "How Deep Is Your Love," but did you know the Bee Gees also penned huge hits for other artists? Indeed, the Bee Gees' impressive songcraft has earned praise as being on par with the likes of the Beatles. From Barbra Streisand to Diana Ross and Frankie Valli, we've gathered six classics you just might be surprised to learn were written by the brothers Gibb — Barry, Robin and Maurice.

Barbra Streisand, "Woman In Love"

Streisand's signature No. 1 smash hit "Woman In Love" wasn't the only song on its accompanying album, 1980's Guilty, written by the Bee Gees. In fact, the entire chart-topping album was co-written and produced by Barry Gibb, with songwriting assists from his brothers on "Woman In Love" and the album's title track (a duet with Barry Gibb).

Dionne Warwick, "Heartbreaker"

A peerless interpreter of song, Warwick turned in a heart-wrenching vocal on this Gibb brothers-penned Top 10 hit. Taken from her 1982 album of the same name, "Heartbreaker" may sound like an obvious home run but, believe it or not, the Bee Gees had to convince her it would be a hit record. Giving the track up, however, was a little heartbreaking for some. "I cried my eyes out after we wrote it," remarked Maurice Gibb. "I drove home and thought, 'We should be doing this one,' and when she did it, it was brilliant. We sang on it, and it still became like a duet between the Bee Gees and Dionne Warwick."

Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, "Islands In The Stream"

When you think of the Bee Gees, country music probably isn't the first thing to come to mind. But the brothers had their hands in this breezy No. 1 hit for country superstars Rogers and Parton. According to Robin and Barry Gibb, the song was originally conceptualized as an R&B tune for Marvin Gaye. A testament to the Gibbs' songwriting prowess, it was ultimately countrified and released as the first single from Rogers' 1983 album, Eyes That See In The Dark.

Celine Dion, "Immorality"

Featured on Dion's 1997 album, Let's Talk About Love, "Immorality" was written by the Bee Gees with the golden-voiced Canadian singer in mind. And who are the background vocalists you hear on the track? The Gibb brothers themselves. They also made a cameo appearance in the second music video released for the track in 1998. Thanks to strong songs such as "Immorality," which was a U.K. Top 5 hit, Let's Talk About Love reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

Diana Ross, "Chain Reaction"

Released via Ross' 1985 album, Eaten Alive, this eventual No. 1 hit single nearly didn't make the final cut. "'Chain Reaction' was never originally meant to be on the album," Barry Gibb later revealed in 1000 UK Number One Hits. "We'd done the whole album and Diana said, 'Well, we still need one more song from somewhere.' We had 'Chain Reaction' all along but didn't have the nerve to play it to her because it was so Motown-ish that we were scared she wouldn't go back there." The song charted on the Billboard Hot 100, but was especially popular in the U.K. and Australia, reaching No. 1 on the charts.

Frankie Valli, "Grease"

Written entirely by Barry Gibb as the title track for the 1978 film of the same name, "Grease" earned Valli the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for his most recent Top 40 hit. Grease director Robert Stigwood was hesitant at first, concerned that the song didn't fit the '50s vibe of the film, but cooler heads prevailed. "'Grease' was one of the biggest records I ever had in my career," Vall later exclaimed. Barry Gibb can be heard singing backup vocals on the recording, which also features Peter Frampton on lead guitar.

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